The Ambien I took on the flight from Sea-Tac to Kuwait worked about as effectively as something you buy from those “pharmacies” in Tijuana, but the upshot is that I had plenty of time to read.

For this trip, I packed “The Great War for Civilisation” by Robert Fisk, the venerated foreign correspondent who works for The Independent. It’s a 1,000-page-plus history of the Middle East and came highly recommended by my friend, the cerebral John Wallingford.

I’ve always tried to read up before I cover something or go somewhere. Before moving to South Africa after college, I devoured Nelson Mandela’s “Long Walk to Freedom,” Rian Malan’s “My Traitor’s Heart” and a few others.

I cracked open Fisk’s book for the first time on the flight to Amsterdam, but I’ve read a lot of good stuff on the Iraq war lately – maybe a dozen books in the past four months. I just re-read “Fiasco” by Thomas Ricks last week. Some folks weren’t happy with the conclusions he reached (hint: read the title), but the guy knows his stuff, and it’s fascinating to see how the decisions of five years ago are still being felt today.

Hopefully Fisk can deliver the same comprehensiveness as Ricks, but on a larger scale. Will let you know, and I’m always looking for tips on good (nonfiction) books to read.

By the time you read this, I’ll be on my way to Iraq (via Amsterdam and Kuwait). Because I’ll be off the radar for a few days – gotta get processed in Kuwait, credentialed in Baghdad and meet up with the 81st Brigade Combat Team in Balad – I’m hoping you guys participate in the comments section.

What stories do you want to read?

My task is to tell the day-to-day life of the Washington National Guard soldiers, but are there any specifics you’d like me to chase down while I’m there? Are you interested in the technology they’re using? What they do during downtime? The soldiers’ interaction with the Iraqi population?

Ideas, please.